Zig Zag Brews South African deal

MIPCOM: UK-based prodco Zig Zag has continued its international expansion with a coproduction partnership with a South African producer, and is hunting a similar deal in Australia.

Zig Zag is linking up with Urban Brew Studios to pool creativity, expertise and production facilities to create cross-genre programming for the South African, UK and international markets.

The two firms will develop shared IP and swap formats. The first show being worked on will see Urban Brew take Zig Zag’s Strike a Match format to South Africa. The programme challenges a panel of comedians to identify the real couples from the fake in a studio line-up.

Zig Zag has also taken an international option for Urban Brew’s The Virus Hunter, which follows the world’s leading virologists as they travel to remote locations and try to pre-empt the next deadly outbreak.

Urban Brew has eight studios and produces 50 hours of original content per week for broadcasters including SABC and DStv. It also manages and produces content for its own domestic channels, including Soweto TV and Glow TV.

The company adapted BBC format Friends Like These for the local market and has recently won a record-breaking 14th season commission for the show.

The deal follows Zig Zag’s recent tie-up with Canadian producer, distributor and broadcaster Blue Ant Media.

CEO Danny Fenton is in Cannes this week hunting further similar partnerships around the world, specifically in Australia where talks with potential partner firms are ongoing.